AMA Describes Principles to Guide New ACO Care Model

OPEN MINDS Weekly News Wire Strategic Health Care News The American Medical Association (AMA) has approved 13 principles for accountable care organizations (ACO), with a focus on preserving the primary role of physician independence. The AMA maintains that ACOs should be physician led, ensure voluntary physician and patient participation, and permit independent physicians to participate. ACOs are a potential model for delivering coordinated medical services to be tested in Medicare demonstration projects slated to start in January 2012. The Medicare demonstration reimbursing for new care models was authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) as . . .